Four Bodies

We used to have three dogs.  

The first dog ate a strange looking mushroom in our yard; he died later that day.  

The second dog was a bit older, but more active than the other two.  Unfortunately, her being active made her quite bored within the confines of our house and fenced in yard.  She got out one day and was hit by a car.  

Our third dog was tiny and very quiet.  He didn't show up for his scheduled lunchtime one day.  It wasn't until two weeks later that we discovered his body in the attic with cobwebs wrapped around him like rope. No one went in the attic much to begin with; we go up there even less now.  

The house was awfully silent for six months until we built up the courage to get another dog.  

We named him Patrick.

Patrick liked to bark at things that weren't there; but looking back on it, maybe they were.  

We monitored his eating and his time outdoors, and definitely didn't allow him in the attic.  

Then one day Patrick came in after being outside in the hot, smoldering sun.  He was filthy.  His white coat was now a cardboard brown; and in his mouth was a bone.  

We never give our dogs bones, we think they are bad for their teeth.  

Patrick dropped the bone at my feet and ran back outside.  I followed him.  

Turns out, Patrick really liked bones.

He dug up all three of our dogs we had buried in the back yard.  

Now we have four dogs;

Though, three of them look quite a bit different from Patrick.